Pierre Boulez was one of the dominating figures of post-war classical music during the middle of the twentieth century. While his body of completed works is relatively small (largely due to his tendency to revise his early compositions over and over) his oeuvre includes several pieces regarded by many musicologists as landmark works of the era. One such work, Le Marteau sans maître (The hammer without a master) is included on this release. The work sets the poetry of Rene Char for contralto and six instruments. The International Contemporary Ensemble along with mezzo-soprano Katalin Karolyi perform this work, as well as Eclat and Dialogue de l’ombre double.